GNAC Championship Preview: #1 Saints Look to Repeat over #2 Monks

BOSTON, Mass. – Top-seeded Emmanuel College is set to host No. 2 Saint Joseph's College (ME) in the 2020 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Finals on Saturday, February 29 at 1:00 PM on the Andy Yosinoff Court. The Saints bring an overall record of 20-7 into the contest after posting a 9-2 mark in GNAC play to earn the No. 1 seed in the tourney. The Monks stand at 19-8 overall and also finished with a 9-2 conference mark to secure the second seed.

SEASON AT A GLANCE:

Emmanuel:

• The Saints rank first in the GNAC in field goals made (750) and second in the GNAC in scoring, averaging 70.7 points per game.
• This year's team currently leads the GNAC while ranking eighth the nation in assists per game, averaging 17.9 helpers.
• The squad topped the GNAC in shooting percentage at 40.9%.
• EC is also leading the GNAC in rebounding margin per game, owning a +8.5 average.

Saint Joseph's (ME):

• The Monks have won 12 of their last 14 games including four straight leading into the GNAC Championship.
• Saint Joseph's leads the GNAC in three-point field goal percentage (31.5%) and features three out of the top six three-point shooters in the conference.
• The Monks also rank first in free throw percentage (71.4%), second in three-pointers made per game (6.3), third in assists per game (14.5), opponents' 3PT percentage (23.6%), three-point attempts per game (22.5), and fourth in rebound margin per game (4.1).
• St. Joe's averages 59.0 PPG on the road this season compared to 68.0 PPG at home this winter, going 10-2 at home compared to an 8-6 mark on the road.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Emmanuel:

• (#1) Senior guard Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda (Cambridge, Mass.) leads the country with 21 double-doubles on the year. She ranks fourth in the GNAC in scoring (19.2 ppg), third in rebounding (11.9 rpg) and field goal percentage (48.5%).
• (#24) Senior guard Kayla Weaver (West Haven, Conn.) has been EC's defensive leader all season while also averaging 10.4 points per game. Her lock down defense has helped the Saints hold GNAC opponents to an average of 52.4 ppg as she's recorded 81 steals to rank second in the GNAC and 24th nationally. Weaver also scored her 1,000^th career point in Thursday's win over Suffolk to become the 25^th player in program history to reach the milestone.
• (#45) Sophomore forward Loredana D'Agostino (Broad Brook, Conn.) turned it on when GNAC play began, averaging almost 12 points per game since mid-January. In regular-season GNAC play, D'Agostino shot 45.1% from the floor to rank fifth in the GNAC.

Saint Joseph's (ME):

• (#33) Sophomore guard Alyson Fillion (Bedford, N.H.) leads the Monks with 11.6 points per game and contributes 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per contest; the first-year starter ranks second in the GNAC in three-point percentage (36.2%, 51-141) and three-pointers made (51).
• (#12) Junior guard Cassandra Stapelfeld (Brookline, N.H.) is averaging 11.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game and ranks sixth in the conference three-point percentage (32.6%) and three pointers made (46).
• (#5) Senior guard Julia Quinn (Fryeburg, Maine) is contributing 8.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game and ranks second in the GNAC in free throw shooting percentage (80.0%) and tied for third in three-point shooting percentage (34.1%).

COACHES' CORNER:

Andy Yosinoff – Emmanuel – (852-288, .747) – 43^rd collegiate season
Coach Yosinoff is no stranger to the GNAC tournament having led Emmanuel to 16 conference championships over his career. He's compiled an incredible 280-16 (.946) record in regular-season GNAC play and earlier this season, collected his 850^th career victory to become just the 12^th NCAA women's basketball coach to reach the milestone. He's one of six active WBB coaches with 850 wins and the first D-III women's coach to hit the mark.

With Thursday's win over Suffolk, the Saints posted the program's 25^th season with 20 or more wins, the fourth-highest total in NCAA DIII Women's Basketball history and one season shy of the record of 26.

Mike McDevitt – Saint Joseph's (ME) - (575-203, .739) - 28th collegiate season
Among the most successful coaches in all of NCAA DIII Women's Basketball, McDevitt ranks 13th among active coaches in victories and 18th in winning percentage. Only two coaches in New England have more wins and three (10+ years) have a higher win rate.

During his tenure at Saint Joseph's, Coach McDevitt has guided the Monks to at least 20 wins in 18 different seasons, the seventh-highest total in the history of NCAA DIII Women's Basketball, with 18 championships. During his career, McDevitt has garnered 14 'Coach of the Year' accolades, including GNAC top coach honors last season.

THE LAST TIME WE MET:

On February 15^th, the Saints hosted the Monks on Emmanuel's "Senior Day" game and coasted to a 81-40 victory behind a combined 44 points for the squad's three seniors.

Following a tight first quarter that saw EC ahead 21-16 after one, Emmanuel nearly held the Monks scoreless in the second stanza to take a 35-18 lead into halftime.

Out of the break, the Saints full court press wore down the Saint Joseph's backcourt and Emmanuel extended the lead to 60-30 through three quarters of play, ultimately cruising to the 81-40 win.

Ramirez-Tejeda scored 18 to go with 10 boards, Weaver chipped in with 15 points and six assists while fellow senior Caitlin Cipriano (Waterbury, Conn.) scored a season-high 11 points.

Freshman Bri Jordan (Gray, Maine) was the lone Monk in double-figures with 16 points off the bench as the Monks starting five combined to score just 10 points in the loss.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

Over 26 career meetings, EC has been in control of the all-time series with a 19-7 record vs. Saint Joseph's (ME). Emmanuel has won the last two meetings including the 2019 GNAC Championship contest in a 65-64 instant classic last year in which the Saints upset and dethroned the three-time GNAC champs on their home court, handing the Monks their first loss of the season and snapping a 51-game home winning streak.

POSTSEASON HISTORY:

The Saints are in the midst of their 25th GNAC Tournament run and have dominated the conference with 16 GNAC Championships. Saturday's contest marks Emmanuel's 21st appearance in the GNAC title match.

Emmanuel owns and incredible 61-8 (.884) GNAC Tournament record and has advanced past the first round in 24 of 25 seasons – the only hiccup coming in 2014, when #8 Norwich upset the top-seeded Saints, 84-78 in overtime.

The Monks have appeared in the GNAC Tournament in 12 of 13 seasons as a member of the conference and claimed the program's first GNAC Championship in 2014, when the Royal Blue defeated Norwich University, 63-47, in the title game at the Alfond Center on March 1st, 2014.

As the top seed in the 2016 conference tournament, Saint Joseph's defeated Emmanuel, 66-62, in the GNAC Championship and the Monks claimed their second-consecutive title with an overtime 81-70 win over the Saints in the 2017 GNAC Championship. St. Joe's made it three in a row with a 73-59 victory over Suffolk University in the 2018 GNAC Championship before EC stunned them in the finals last season to end the reign.

Head to head in the tournament, Emmanuel is 3-2 all-time against Saint Joseph's. Emmanuel topped the Monks 71-52 in the 2009 GNAC Quarterfinals and posted wins in the GNAC Championship game in 2012 (68-57) and in 2019 (65-64) while the Monks came out on top in the title game in 2016 (66-62) and 2017 (81-70 OT).

TICKETS
Adult admission is $5.00 and children 12 and under is $3.00. Emmanuel College students, staff and faculty may receive free admission but must present a valid student/college ID at the door.

COVERAGE
Saturday's GNAC Final will be streamed live on the web with the official call of the game from the voice of the Saints, Matt LaPan. To tune into the live action, click on one of the links below:

LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS

GNAC TOURNEY SCHEDULE
Quarterfinals - Tuesday, February 25 (at high seeds)
Game 1: #8 Norwich at #1 Emmanuel - 7:30 PM                     65-39, EMM
Game 2: #5 Albertus Magnus at #4 Suffolk - 7:00 PM              103-95, SUF
Game 3: #6 Colby-Sawyer at #3 Regis - 6:00 PM                    61-48, REG
Game 4: #7 JWU at #2 Saint Joseph's Maine - 7:00 PM          59-54, SJM

Semifinals - Thursday, February 27 (at high seeds)
Game 5: #4 Suffolk vs. #1 Emmanuel – 7:00 PM                     58-57, EMM
Game 6: #3 Regis vs. #2 Saint Joseph's Maine – 6:30 PM      55-53, SJM

Championship - Saturday, February 29 (at highest remaining seed)
Game 7: #2 Saint Joseph's Maine vs. #1 Emmanuel – 1:00 PM

The winner of the GNAC Championship game earns an automatic berth into the 2020 NCAA D-III Women's Basketball Championship, which begins on March 6th. The complete national tournament bracket will be announced on Monday afternoon.